getting tense, here it comes

Less than 72 hours till I've proposed. Eeek. I'm starting to feel the tension. Next two days will take a lot of work. Kurt sent me a good message about an artist to look into and that he likes my idea. Kurt is one of my panel members and a mainstay of the illustration faculty. Nice guy, he was part of the summer pre-college intensive program that I took part in in 2006.

Anyway, got up before noon! Whoo! Had a cinnamon roll and poached egg with melted cheese on toast. Yum!

Nathan and Ma returned, and we decided to go get a Christmas Tree from Kunie's! It probably took longer to get ready for the trip than it did to find the tree. It was about the fourth one we looked at, and it was quite good. Also, the day broke 40 degrees and it rained so nothing was icy and a lot of the snow was gone. Hurray!

The tree was perfectly in between lots of branches and space between branches for ornaments to hang. Dad sawed the bottom and I pulled on it so that the saw wouldn't pinch.

When we got back, we had a reprise turkey luncheon. As the typical modern family, we watched stuff on Youtube for a while. Then we started decorating the tree. Next year we need to get another strand of lights. Two is not enough. We crammed so many ornaments on. it is magnificent! Ma queued up Community for Nathan to watch. Great show.

After ornaments, we got in the hot tub! Whoo! Then we decided to catch the 9:25 showing of Harry Potter. But first: Bananagrams! A game. I won. Whoo!

It was probably one of the best Harry Potters. Great filming, great acting. I don't remember much of the book (besides the fact that the forest traveling was booooring) so it wasn't stale. The animated story telling bit was beautiful. It was good. I can't believe that after so many years and all the fandom, there is only one Harry Potter film left.

Late night drive home. I quickly documented my comic.

Oh, one thing I forgot to mention last night was that we were playing "I Spy With My Little Eye..." and Nathan said he spied something that began with H. Which ended up being "Hybrid". After 15 minutes of us guessing and Nate acting like we were fools, he remembered we were in the Contour. Not the Prius. There fore he did not spy a hybrid. Not at all.

Return to Portland tomorrow. Eeeek.

thankful for love

Just because I post at 11:35 pm, doesn't mean I go to bed exactly at that time. Just means I wanted to get on with my writing before I got to the queue of stuff to watch. Like Misfits, Terriers, and Never Mind the Buzzcocks.

Anyway. Stayed up watching the first half of True Grit. It is interesting how much just simple filming and shots have changed in films. Now we take our queues from scene set ups to understand the meaning of what is being depicted, instead of reading into a scene. The original True Grit isn't overbearingly shot and sound tracked, so it encourages less enthusiasm from the audience.

Slept in, as per usual. Ma and Pa did the cooking. I got up. Had some bacon and eggs. Then hot tubbed. It was a great morning (see: afternoon) to relax in a 103 degree tub of water. It was very brisk and there was still snow. Ahhh Seabeck.

Then we started hauling the food into the Ford Contour, and off we went. Picked up Rubie. It was a Mats Mats Thanksgiving. We supplied most of the meal, with Grandma and Grandpa providing pre-dinner snacks and drinks. Martinelli's galore!

Turkey was moist, the bread was warm, the salad had delicious avocado and shrimp, the broccoli couldn't decide if it wanted to be raw or cooked, and the gravy as delicious on the potatoes. I didn't have everything on the table, but I had enough for me. We didn't say what we were thankful for. But I'm thankful for my wonderful friends and supportive family. There is so much love, and I'm thankful for that.

I laid up on the couch while everyone else enjoyed berry pie (I don't like berry pie) and ice cream. I laid up some more and skipped out on being generally helpful. Watched the tail end of Goldeneye and the start of The World is Not Enough. I helped marginally to put stuff away and then we said our goodbyes.

It had started to warm up, so the roads were better. We dropped off Rubie. Went home. Snacked on stuff and watched Top Gear clips. Then ma and pa tucked in. And now I'm tucking in. But that doesn't mean I'm going to bed.

Don't know what we'll do tomorrow. Maybe get a Christmas tree. I have to practice my proposal. Finish up my slideshow. Work. Bleh. Don't like work. But in just a few very soon days, I'll be proposing. It is inevitable.

two wagons hitched to one horse

Got the space heater running at the bottom of the futon, got my laptop atop my lap, and the anticipation for the hot tub tomorrow is brewing. Ahhh it is good to be home, if only for a little bit.

Had some toast and propel for breakfast. Mmm. A reasonable start to the day. In class we looked at some animation shorts and stuff from previous classes. Ambitious but reasonable projects. Only about ten people were in, probably due to holiday travel and the weather.

I had lunch with Daniel and Heather at Barista. We gabbed. I bragged about my zine. I had steamed milk and a muffin. Afterwards I helped Dom a little bit with his crossword puzzle. It was more difficult this time around. The rest of class as a brief discussion of our projects and then we were free to go. So I did.

Went home. Ate some macaroni and cheese. Packed my bag. Went to Trader Joe's and got some snacks for the parents. Mark and Kristen gave me a ride to the train station, which was awesome as it continues to hover around freezing. The line in the station looped around itself. It took a while just to find the end, but find it I did! I sat next to a lady but we didn't talk. I grabbed a hot dog. Took a nap. Read my book. Got lost in thought. Then I was in Tacoma!

Ma and Pa were there with the truck, which had a few inches of snow in the bed. It was a relatively uneventful ride home. No black ice. No skidding. No snow. I talked about my thesis, but didn't go through the practice.

Since I have my big bed in Portland, I know have a little futon for when I return home. It isn't so bad. I'd rather have a big bed in Portland and a small bed here, than the other way around. Got the space heater cranked. It's quite cold. But can't complain. Tomorrow is turkey day!!

I inspired Morgan!!!

Listening to Odd Owl's The Way Home searching for inspiration. COME ON INSPIRATION!!! I'm so stuck. I have the purpose, not the idea.

Anyway. Woke up at 8am, and decided to go back to sleep till 10ish. Made myself a giant sustaining scramble. Worked on transcribing my essay. It is cold in Portland. But not unmanageable. It didn't snow really at all (glorified frost) and ice is only in the corners where it is frequently damp.

Went to class. It was another practice day, but pretty much only for those willing to practice. I worked on finishing up my essay and editing it and helping Dominic with his crossword and wishing Madeline a belated happy birthday and working more on proposal. It is fine tuning and adding touches here and there. It is coming along. I'm looking forward to working on it on the train ride. Practice practice! Class went by fast.

Printed out my train ticket thing. Printed out some recipes from Brynne.

Yoga was a small class. I had my yoga pants over my long johns. It was cozy. And confining.

Made some frozen microwave Trader Joe's basmati rice and chicken for dinner. I also popped open my special apple juice. SO DELICIOUS! So rich. I shared with Kristen and Mark and they were floored by how good it is. It is the pure stuff yo.

Watched Raising Hope. Then Glee. Now I'm trying to get some inspiration.

Oh! Remember that Focus Week Zine I made last semester? I gave one to my teacher Morgan, and now I've heard from some of the people in his classes (the figure and history of printmaking) that he is asking them to make thesis zines! Instead of his usual list of who you attend. How awesome is that? My little project inspired a shift in assignment! And my work stuck in the mind of a professor. Niiice.

Now if only I can find my mp3 player charger. It fell somewhere.

No idea what sort of structure I want to do for my animation. I should go to bed and just sit in class and draw.

Also...

How great are these shoes? http://www.zappos.com/ariat-fatbaby-tan-rebel-pink I like them in brown omber and Earth/Bone...

it's like we have never seen snow before

Well, I checked most of the list off.

I slept in more than I should have. Had a little breakfast. Recorded my practice. Got showered and dressed in thicker jeans, a shirt, and a sweater. A preppy blue ensemble. I walked down to Trader Joe's. Got some meat, and vegetables, and eggs, and sweets. Damn you TJ's and your awesome holiday treats!

Came back and made myself a huge scramble. Beef, onion, egg, and cheese. It was a good thing that I made it too, because once I went to school I was there for a while. That meal (and a chocolate orange) sustained me.

So I went to school. Worked on writing out the text of my thesis give away. A lot of slow and steady lettering. Dom practiced. He does a lot more heavy editing. It is coming along though. Jon went. His is also good. It was a lot of discussion. Josh came in with his and Janessa's dog Baker. Sweet dog. I scanned and edited my text and at around 7:45 I bid adieu. Went to the print lab. Emulsified my screen. Printed out my image, oiled that up. Ate some chocolate. Listened to audio book. Chatted to print people. Pimped my thesis. Exposed screen. Washed it out. Let it dry. Then I printed up a storm. 66 prints! And they look great. Exactly what I want them to be. Can't wait to start giving them out. Mel came in to print and we chatted and I folded and editioned the prints. Mel is doing some cool sign design stuff. She is so good with type and letters and making them look good. My friends have really grown into their skills in the past years. It is great.

Left the studio at 11:20ish. Talked to Karen. Got home at 11:45. It snowed today. But it didn't really stick on anything but cars, and even then it was over glorified frost. People were freaking out though on Facebook. SNOW SNOW SNOW they all cried. Some places did have more, but it isn't much.

Tomorrow I just have my comic documentation planned before class. But I'm behind on my essay, so I'll transcribe that in the morning. Pretty much on task.

I'm so glad my heating is included in rent. Warm apartment. Mmm.

I may be double sided, but I'm not a double crosser

It's getting cold. Lots of surrounding areas are getting snow. I'm just at rain right now. Since our heating bill doesn't bounce, our space heater keeps the apartment very snug. Kristen is even in shorts, it is so warm. I'm in long johns, jeans, and a shirt. It is comfy.

Printing! Hurray! Had my breakfast and left. Printed out my images to print. Emulsified the screens. I was unable to print some teeshirts because the ink in the studio discourages use on fabric. I'll borrow some from Dominic.

But I got my two color poster side printed! Just a little 8 1/2x14 image. Compact. Easy. Printed in no time at all. Just piled them up next to me on the desk. The best part of being non archival, non edition, and non picky is that if something gets smudged: it isn't the end of the world! My thesis may not end up being the most perfect rendered thing, but it will have heart and enthusiasm.

Anyway, listened to Girl Who Played with Fire while doing all that. Pimped my proposal. Explained Karen's scratch board process to Israel.

It was pretty much dark by the time I was finished, but it gets dark at 4 it seems. Still snug, I showed off my mini posters. Talked to Karen and Dom and Jon. Then went home. Fried up some bacon and an egg.

Then decided to add another layer and go see 127 Hours! It wasn't a bad bike ride, but I was wearing three layers....the movie was INTENSE! It was great. Franco as Aron, the canyoneer who gets trapped when his hand is wedged and crushed by a boulder, was a brilliant performance. For being mostly one guy in one place throughout, it never lost intrigue. Danny Boyle has a great sense of shot composure. I loved it. I did have to cover my eyes when it got to the part where he CUT HIS ARM OFF WITH A DULL KNIFE AND IT WAS GORY AND SOUND EFFECTY AND OOHHH MY GOOOD INTENSE. True story about the canyoneer. Kinda made me want to road trip a bit. The title refers to the amount of time he spent trapped, before cutting off his arm. Good performance, good movie.

Went back home. Had some macaroni and cheese. Queued up my night tellie. I took out a big sheet of paper and planned the next eight days. Because in eight days, I'll have completed my thesis proposal.

Eight.

Days.

AHHHHH!!

But no, I feel like I'm in a really good place. It is touching up. It is practice. It is memorizing. It is getting words down. I'm half way done with the other side of the free giveaway poster. Not sure what I want to put in the fine print.

Tomorrow's schedule:

-record myself proposing

-transcribe the oral proposal into a new essay

-edit that essay

-finish text

-practice at school at 5:30

-print poster

-print shirts

-go home

-work on animation

-fold posters

And that is it. I don't like to over schedule and try to get everything done in one day. Tuesday is redocumentation of my comic. And class. And yoga. And maybe helping Karen some more. And Raising Hope. And animation. Wednesday is animation. And then going home. Thursday is turkey day. Friday is redo note cards (which I might end up doing tomorrow and then redoing friday and maybe redoing Sunday) and practice and working on the abstract. Saturday is back to Portland. Sunday is practice. Monday is thesis.

And that is my next week. A lot of stuff, but a far from impossible schedule. You know what would be an impossible schedule? If I was full time! I don't get how people can do it. Well, they probably sleep less than I tend to. I'm getting fairly regular full nights rests.

Walking Dead was great. I don't know who had the bright idea that it should only have a six episode first season. Only two episodes left now! Boardwalk Empire is phenomenal! Fantastic hats everywhere! Dexter was okay.

I'll probably do some shopping early tomorrow. Food stuffs. Get some beef for hearty breakfast scrambles. And eggs. And apples.

task mastered

Waking up is such a drag. Anyway, washed my hair. I am noticing improvements with the new conditioner. I kinda wanna get a haircut though, just to trim out some of the split ends. It's at the point where it can take an inch off and still be long. Maybe I'll do that tomorrow. After I'm done at school, I'll go to Bishops and get a cut. All though that means spending money. I keep thinking up ways to spend money. No! My hair can grow a little longer. I need to buy groceries. Food!

Anyway, I kept my eye on Karen's schedule and we started printing at 11am. Like I said, she wanted to do 2pm. But I insisted we do it earlier. In no time at all Pecos Bill was complete! Two colors. Done. Zip. Whoo. Yeah. And it was good that I encouraged her to be at school, because her sister, husband, niece, and family friend came into town for a surprise! The niece is an adorable widdle baby. Karen finished up, I went to the computer lab and finished my digital editing.

At 3:15ish Dom, Morgaine, Jon, and Sivonna showed up to practice. I ran through mine. Got some good feedback from Morgaine. Dom went, his was more flushed out and good. Morgaine's is very interesting and has such a wealth of art in the slide show. Jon's was very concise. Sivonna's charm is showing through. A good little practice run. The next step is to record myself talking about the thesis and then writing down what I say and working on that. I need to reconstruct the essay based around what I know. It is really coming along.

After that, I did some more digital stuff and scanning. I was planning to print but the library was closed, and so I couldn't print off the images needed to print. So I went home. Ate food. Watched some stuff. Listed what I need to accomplish (slide show, animation, printing). Did two loads of laundry.

Tomorrow I am going to go print the two color miniposter for my thesis. And my Pride and Prejudice teeshirt. Then I'll probably cave and treat myself to a haircut or something. Or maybe I'll be good and go home and do grocery shopping. Work on my essay. Then go see 127 Hours, the new Danny Boyle movie. Yeah. I'd rather do that than get a haircut. I can let it grow.

But yeah, printing. Practicing. Animating.

Congrats to Cherish and Isaiah! Them be engaged now! Eeee! They are a great couple.